International Leprosy Congress begins tomorrow

Hyderabad, Jan 29 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari would inaugurate the six-day 17th International Leprosy Congress here tomorrow on the occasion of the World Leprosy Day.

Addressiong a press conference today, Conference Chairman S K Noordeen and Scientific Session Chairman V Katoch said the campaign against leprosy had achieved major success all over the world, resulting in its elimination as a public health problem in most parts of the world.

They said problems like persisting pockets of endemicity, diagnosis in the context of changing profile of the disease, improving the management of the disease, particularly as part of public health integrated mode managing disabilities and other social consequences, still remained.

Nearly 1,700 delegates, including scientists, doctors and other workers, from more than 50 countries would participate in the event.

Besides seven workshops organised during the Congress, about 815 presentations, including 134 on clinical aspects, 96 on epidemiology of leprosy and 86 on leprosy control elimination related issues, were scheduled.

The leprosy incidence in the country had drastically came down and there were only two lakh leprosy patients in the country as of now, as against 40 lakh two decades back, they pointed out.

Eminent clinicians like Dr Bhushan Kumar from India, Dr Diana Lockwood from London and Dr Ben Naafs from Netherlands would take part on issues related to diagnosis and management of leprosy.

UNI BR VA SB HT1947